Chapter 3
1431 Words
Brianna’s POV
I panicked instantly, heat rushing to my cheeks as the realization crashed over me.
I had just called my brother’s best friend hot, and worst of all, he had heard every single word.
Before I could think of an excuse or maybe fake my own death to escape the humiliation.
Wesley stepped closer. He stopped right in front of me, close enough for me to notice the tiny droplets of water still clinging to the ends of his dark hair and the faint scent of soap lingering around him.
My heart skipped.
Then skipped again.
For one ridiculous second, my mind went somewhere it absolutely shouldn’t have.
This is it.
Maybe… maybe he liked me too.
Maybe all those lingering looks I’d imagined weren’t in my head. Maybe this was the moment he’d lean down and kiss me.
I found myself leaning forward before I could stop myself, my eyes slowly fluttering shut.
A finger pressed against my forehead.
I blinked, my eyes snapping open as Wesley gently pushed my head back.
“Easy there,” he said, amusement dancing in those hazel eyes. “Less than an hour after getting here and you’ve already managed to wet the kitchen counter.”
I stared at him blankly.
Then I followed his gaze downward.
“Oh.”
Water had spilled everywhere.
The bottle I’d been drinking from had somehow tipped over, and water was dripping over the edge of the counter onto the floor.
My entire face caught fire.
So that was why he’d gotten close.
Not because he wanted to kiss me.
Because I had accidentally created a flood in Damian’s kitchen.
I wanted to disappear.
Wesley’s lips twitched as if he was trying very hard not to laugh.
“Hold on,” he said slowly. “Did you think I was going to kiss you?”
“What?” I nearly shrieked. “No!”
The denial came so fast I almost tripped over my own words.
“I wasn’t thinking that at all. Why would I think that? You just… walked over and I just… there was water and…”
I stopped talking.
Nothing coming out of my mouth made sense.
Wesley folded his arms across his chest, one brow arching upward.
“You know,” he said thoughtfully, “for someone who claims she didn’t think that, you’re awfully defensive.”
“I am not defensive.”
“You sound defensive.”
“I’m not!”
The doorbell rang.
Relief flooded through me so quickly that I nearly cried.
“I’ll get it!”
Without waiting for another second, I slipped past Wesley and practically ran to the front door.
At that moment, I was willing to give whoever stood outside my entire monthly allowance for saving me from further embarrassment.
I pulled the door open and froze.
The woman standing there was breathtaking.
Long red hair cascaded over one shoulder in glossy waves, catching the sunlight behind her.
The fitted dress she wore hugged her curves perfectly, elegant and effortless in a way that made me suddenly aware of my oversized sweatshirt and faded jeans.
She lowered her designer sunglasses and looked me over.
The expression on her face shifted from confusion to outright disgust.
“Who the hell are you?” she asked.
I blinked at her.
“You knocked on my door, and you’re asking who I am?” I replied, crossing my arms. “Don’t you think that’s my question to ask?”
Her eyes traveled down my body again before lifting it back to my face.
She looked like she was trying to figure out how someone like me had ended up here.
She opened her mouth to respond.
“Natasha?”
Wesley’s voice came from behind me.
I turned slightly to see him standing a few feet away.
The woman’s entire face lit up.
Before I could move, she brushed past me, making sure her shoulder collided with mine hard enough to make me stumble.
Then she threw herself into Wesley’s arms.
“Baby!” she squealed. “I’ve missed you so much!”
My ears perked up at the word “Baby.”
I stared at them.
Natasha clung to Wesley like she’d been separated from him for years, while Wesley awkwardly wrapped an arm around her waist.
He has a girlfriend?
Of course.
A man like Wesley Cross wasn’t going to be single.
And naturally, the woman he was dating looked like she’d walked straight out of a fashion magazine.
Beautiful, confident and sophisticated.
Not a nerdy college student who preferred hoodies over dresses and spent more time studying than shopping.
I looked down at myself.
Basic jeans and simple knitted sweatshirt, my glasses perched on my nose.
Suddenly, I felt painfully plain.
“Excuse me,” I said quietly.
Wesley’s gaze shifted toward me immediately.
“Bree..”
I stepped away before he could finish.
“It’s fine.”
I turned and walked back upstairs as fast as I could, refusing to acknowledge the strange heaviness settling in my chest.
The moment I entered my room, I shut the door behind me.
My eyes landed on a folded piece of paper resting on the bed.
Frowning, I picked it up.
“I’ve cleared out the room for you. I’ll be using Damian’s room for now.”
- Wes.
I stared at the note.
For some reason, irritation surged through me.
I crumpled the paper and tossed it across the room.
“Stupid Wesley,” I muttered, throwing myself dramatically onto the bed.
I rolled over and caught sight of my reflection in the mirror.
Disappointment rose up in my stomach..
We weren’t poor yet I looked this basic.
I’d just never cared enough to put effort into my appearance.
My comfort had always mattered more than fashion.
But now…
I stared at my reflection thoughtfully.
Twenty-two years old, never had a boyfriend, still a virgin and apparently still crushing on my brother’s ridiculously attractive best friend.
I narrowed my eyes.
“I need a makeover.”
Sitting upright, I grabbed my phone and dialed the only person I trusted with a beauty emergency.
The call rang twice before Queen answered.
“Girl,” she groaned sleepily, “you better have a good reason for dragging me out of my beauty sleep after last night’s journey.”
“I need a makeover.”
Silence.
I pulled the phone away to make sure the call hadn’t disconnected.
“Queen?”
Then she screamed.
“HELL YES!”
I winced, pulling the phone away from my ear.
“I’ve waited for this day for the entire ten years we’ve been friends,” she shrieked. “I honestly thought you’d die in oversized hoodies before voluntarily asking for fashion advice.”
“It’s not that serious.”
“Oh, it’s serious. So who’s the guy?”
“What guy?”
“The guy you’re trying to impress.”
“There isn’t a guy.”
“Brianna,” Queen said flatly, “when a nerd like you suddenly wants a makeover, there’s always a guy involved.”
I hesitated.
“Oh my God,” she gasped dramatically. “There really is a guy!”
Before I could respond, a knock sounded on my bedroom door.
My entire body tensed.
“I’ll call you back,” I whispered.
“You better not hang up before telling me his name… ”
I ended the call.
Another knock came.
“Bree?” Wesley’s voice softened.
I stared at the door without moving.
“Bree, can we talk?”
Silence stretched between us but I said nothing.
After a while, I heard him sigh softly.
“…Okay.”
His footsteps retreated down the hallway.
A moment later, Damian’s bedroom door closed.
I sank back onto my bed and stared up at the ceiling.
Images flashed through my mind against my will.
Wesley’s teasing smile.
The warmth of his hands when he’d caught me.
Then the way Natasha had wrapped herself around him while calling him baby.
I buried my face in my pillow with a frustrated groan.
“How am I supposed to stop fantasizing over my brother’s hot best friend if he is staying in the room across mine?”
I groaned into my pillow once more before finally sitting up and dragging my fingers through my hair.
“Okay, Bree. Pull yourself together, you’ve got work tomorrow,” I muttered with a deep exhale.
At least running into him at home would be the only problem I had to deal with this entire year.
- Writer
